Featured Photo by Paige Mast
Story by Gus Wright
On Thursday, Oct. 7th MTSU soccer (4-2) faced off against new Conference USA opponent, Kennesaw State.
The Blue Raiders demonstrated a defensive yet enduring tour-de-force against the Owls.
The Kennesaw State Owls shot first, taking a shot on goal in the third minute of play. However, this attempt was blocked by the Blue Raider defensive line.
Middle Tennessee remained fixated on working through the Owl defense.
In the 32nd minute MTSU would finally gain the advantage with a contested shot by junior forward, Manon Lebargy. This impressive goal would give momentum to the Blue Raiders going through the first quarter, up 1-0.
The game’s intensity matched the Blue Raiders’ effective control over the Kennesaw Owls defensive line in the first half, with fouls being called on both teams.
Shortly after the goal by Lebargy, the Blue Raider lead was extended by Kadence Krempges in the 37th minute, meshing seamlessly with the assist given by Faith Adje. Following the Krempges goal, Middle Tennessee entered halftime with a 2-0 lead
MTSU came out determined in the second half with two shots blocked from the Kennesaw Owls. MTSU winger Lexi Dendis scored a swift goal early in the second half, stalling Kennesaw enough to ensure a decisive victory.
The Blue Raiders scored one final time with Dendis scoring. The Kennesaw Owls attempted a recovery, but to no avail in a determined victory by MTSU. This final goal put MTSU up 4-2.
The defensive effort by the Blue Raiders was remarkable.
“The team did a great job off the bench and on the field I feel like we had a great energy and now we have nine points in the Conference U.S.A which I’ve never done,” Lebargy said.
The Blue Raiders overall game plan led to miraculous momentum in the first half, causing Kennesaw State to be left in the dust defensively.
“Every time you can win a conference game, whether it’s home or away, it always feels good,” head coach Ashton Rhoden said. “The points are hard to get, so being able to come out and score four goals against a team that was undefeated in conference shows that we’re making progress.”
The Blue Raiders defense finished the game strong with two great defensive stops within the second half to prevent the Owls from scoring, with two saves from freshman goalie Demi Gronauer.
Middle Tennessee continues conference play against Western Kentucky on Sunday, Oct. 13th.
Gus Wright is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines
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